Wilton completely dominated the first two quarters while Brien McMahon owned the second half. In the end, though, the Warriors dug deep and were able to scratch out a 56-51 win.

The game also illuminated the trajectory of two teams heading in opposite directions. With the win, Wilton (8-5, 6-5) clinches a berth in the CIAC Class LL State tournament while the young Senators fell to a disappointing 3-11.

"Regardless of how ugly it was at times, we picked up a win," Wilton head coach Joel Geriak said. "We learn from what we did wrong, and we move on."

The Warriors came charging out of the gate in the first quarter putting away eight points before the Senators could find their footing. Led by the velvet scoring touch of Wilton captain Weston Wilbur, who chalked up eight points including two treys in the first frame, the Warriors built up a 15-point lead at one point. When the quarter came to a close, Wilton was sitting on an 18-7 advantage.

The Warriors cruised through the second quarter with more of the same, taking a 35-21 lead into the locker room at halftime.

In the second half, though, spectators did a double-take at the McMahon team that came thundering onto the court. The Senators, who were playing with new-found intensity, were pulling down rebounds, making shots, and forcing turnovers.

The Warriors turned the ball over on their first three possessions of the half.

"We were stagnant, and we stopped driving," said Geriak.

This time, the first eight points were McMahon's, knocking the wind out of Wilton's sails.

"We woke up and started playing with a little more heart, and things turned around," said Senators captain Larry McKinney, who showed toughness inside by draining three baskets in the quarter.

McMahon finished the quarter trailing by two, at 41-39.

With about four minutes remaining in the game, the Senators had pulled ahead 48-44, which proved to be their high water mark. The Warriors were not going to let the game slip away and found their second wind at the tail end to close out a 56-51 win.

"You can go negative and take away our lack of ability to play a full game, or you can go positive and see the adjustment that they made themselves at halftime," McMahon head coach Ken Dustin said. "The second half team was the team I was expecting."